Oops, we didn’t send out last week’s playlist so here is November, 1974 and then onto Xmas of the year…
Songs of the month
- “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” – Rolling Stones
- “Angie Baby” – Helen Reddy
- “Back Home Again” – John Denver
- [new] “Boogie On Reggae Woman” – Stevie Wonder
- [new] “Bungle In The Jungle” – Jethro Tull
- “Cat’s In The Cradle” – Harry Chapin
- [new] “Dancin’ Fool” – Guess Who
- [new] “Dark Horse” – George Harrison
- “Do It” – B.T. Express
- [new] “Doctor’s Orders” – Carol Douglas
- “Everlasting Love” – Carl Carlton
- “Fairytale” – Pointer Sisters
- “Fire Baby I’m On Fire” – Andy Kim
- [new] “Fire” – Ohio Players
- “I Can Help” – Billy Swan
- “I Feel A Song” – Gladys Knight And The Pips
- “I’ve Got The Music In Me” – Kiki Dee
- [new] “Junior’s Farm” – Paul Mccartney And Wings
- “Kung Fu Fighting” – Carl Douglas
- “Laughter In The Rain” – Neil Sedaka
- “Longfellow Serenade” – Neil Diamond
- [new] “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” – Elton John
- [new] “Mandy” – Barry Manilow
- [new] “Morning Side Of The Mountain” – Donny And Marie Osmond
- “Must Of Got Lost” – J. Geils Band
- “My Melody Of Love” – Bobby Vinton
- [new] “Never Can Say Goodbye” – Gloria Gaynor
- [new] “One Man Woman One Woman Man” – Paul Anka & Odia Coates
- [new] “Only You” – Ringo Starr
- [new] “Pick Up The Pieces” – Average White Band
- [new] “Please Mr. Postman” – Carpenters
- “Promised Land” – Elvis Presley
- [new] “Ride ’em Cowboy” – Paul Davis
- “Sha-La-La” – Al Green
- [new] “Some Kind Of Wonderful” – Grand Funk
- “Touch Me” – Fancy
- “When Will I See You Again” – Three Degrees
- [new] “Willie And The Hand Jive” – Eric Clapton
- “Wishing You Were Here” – Chicago
- “Woman To Woman” – Shirley Brown
- “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet” – Bachman-Turner Overdrive
- “You Got The Love” – Rufus Ft Chaka Khan
[new] = New to the chart this week.
You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.
This month in history
Though they had effectively stopped recording together years earlier, the formal partnership of The Beatles officially came to an end in late December 1974. The legal paperwork breaking up the band was slated to be signed by all four members at the Plaza Hotel in New York, but John Lennon skipped the initial meeting (sending a balloon in his place). On December 29, while vacationing at Disney World’s Polynesian Village Resort in Florida, Lennon finally signed the paperwork, officially and legally dissolving the greatest pop band in history.
On December 19, Roger Moore made his second appearance as 007 in The Man with the Golden Gun. Featuring Christopher Lee as the sophisticated assassin Francisco Scaramanga and Britt Ekland as Mary Goodnight, the film took James Bond across Thailand. Complete with an iconic theme song sung by Lulu, the film captured the mid-70s obsession with martial arts cinema and remains a standout visual spectacle of the era.
Just ten months after taking over theaters with Blazing Saddles, Mel Brooks struck comedy gold a second time in 1974 with the release of Young Frankenstein. Starring Gene Wilder (who also co-wrote the script), Peter Boyle as the Monster, and Marty Feldman as Igor, the film was a brilliant, affectionate parody of classic 1930s horror. Brooks even tracked down the original laboratory props from the 1931 Frankenstein film to ensure visual authenticity. It became a massive box-office success and stands as one of the most quotable comedies of the 1970s.
What’d Sadie think?
It’s two weeks of “Kung Fu Fighting” (by Carl Douglas) in December before Harry Chapin’s “Cat’s In The Cradle” and then Helen Reddy’s “Angie Baby” take the top spot.
It might have been the “official” breakup of The Beatles this month but all four members had their own charting tunes! (Though we have to include John Lennon’s participation on Elton John’s
Loved ’em
- “Boogie On Reggae Woman” – Stevie Wonder
- “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” – Elton John
- “Mandy” – Barry Manilow
- “Never Can Say Goodbye” – Gloria Gaynor
- “Pick Up The Pieces” – Average White Band
- “Please Mr. Postman” – Carpenters
Liked ’em
- “Bungle In The Jungle” – Jethro Tull
- “Dancin’ Fool” – Guess Who
- “Dark Horse” – George Harrison
- “Doctor’s Orders” – Carol Douglas
- “Fire” – Ohio Players
- “Junior’s Farm” – Paul Mccartney And Wings
- “Morning Side Of The Mountain” – Donny And Marie Osmond
- “One Man Woman One Woman Man” – Paul Anka & Odia Coates
- “Only You” – Ringo Starr
- “Ride ’em Cowboy” – Paul Davis
- “Some Kind Of Wonderful” – Grand Funk
- “Willie And The Hand Jive” – Eric Clapton
Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.